Composition for making artificial leather.



HYMAN LEWIS, OF FITZROY, NEAR MELBOURNE, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA.

COMPOSITION FOR MAKING ARTIFICIAL LEATHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 28, 1908.

Application filed November 8, 1907. Serial No. 401,317.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HYMAN LEWIS, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at No. 2 King William street, Fitzroy, near Melbourne, in the State of Victoria, Australia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a'Com osition for Making Artificial Leather; and do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descri tion of the invention, such as Will enab e others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has been devised to provide a new article of manufacture or material which may be employed in various ways for trade purposes such for instance as in lieu of, or substitute for, leather and the like leathern substances, or by different adjust- 'quired. The

ments of its component parts, as a substitute for fioor coverings, embossed articles and the like wares.

The main feature of the invention is that -it absorbs and renders valuable, waste or scrap leather left over from the manufac ture of leather goods of all classes and description. As is well known the bulk of the waste'or scrap leather is of little or no value at resent and therefore ractically unprofitab e as a market commodity.

The new material forming the. subject matter of this invention may be manufactured into various forms of wares suchfor instance as machinery belting, motor tires, floor coverings and articles in which resiliency and hard wearing surface are essentials. By the process and method hereinafter set out this can be carried into practical effect.

I shall now describe one form of manufacture to carry my invention into effect although it is to be distinctly understood that the proportions given below may be varied to suit the differing requirements of manufacture or circumstances, or the altering qualities and strengths of the materials forming the separate portions of the composition.

I take a certain proportion of waste or scrap leather and crush or grind the same, by any suitable disintegrating means, into a powder as fine as flour or as fine as may be more suitable for any particular article reroportion which I shall set forth for this'lllustration is with say 9 lbs. by weight of such ground up scrap leather. After this has been ground or crushed to the degree required I add the following ingredicuts in the proportions set out, viz:

.In lieu of the Vermilion I may if desired, use any other suitable medium to give the com osition the required color, for any pare ticu ar purpose.

The rubber gives elasticity to my new material when in its completed state, while also actin as a binding or cementing agent. The pet-r0 atum gives the material the necessary moisture to render the composition plastic and easy to mold dur'ingits manufacture. The zinc oxid and pitch act as a hardening or consolidating medium and the'yell ow ocher and Vermilion act as a coloring mediumwhile the fiber acts also as a binding or uniting medium. The antimony acts as a preservative to prevent the finished material from cracking 'or perishing.

The method or process of manufacturing my new material is as follows :The above in redients are crushed and ground and then we ll' intermixed until the mass reaches a plastic condition and then rolled to any thicknessrequired."

To revent side cree ing or undue stretching of the material w on in use, I may insert, during the rolling process, between two layers thereof, a sheet of metal or cotton gauze, in the latter case the cotton being preferablv previously di pad in asbestos or other suitable non con ucting heat medium. Where my new material is to be used as an insertion in connection with high pressure steam ap liances I may permeate the disintegrated eather with 'a-mixture of asbestos either alone orin combination with other non combustible or non conducting heat media. The resultant mass may then be released from the rollers when'it is ready to be molded into any desired shape for any parany suitable steam pressure for the vulcanizing of the same, the sulfur or plumbic oxid acting as the desired vulcanizing agent. Or for very thin material the resultant mass, in lieu of being submitted to the steam chamber for vulcanizing, may be submer ed in a bisulfid of carbon and chlorid of sul ur bath or otherwise-saturated with such chemicals,

which act practically as vulcanizing agents. It is then exposed and allowed to dry after which the-material or articles made therefrom are ready for the market.

The description hereinbefore given and the composition and proportion of materials may be deemed suitable for the material when same is to be used for such purposes for instance assole leather, floorcovering, motor tire treads,ibag work, belting etc., but when my invention is to be applied to the production of a substitute for a higher quality ofrubber, suitable forms of gutta percha, caoutchouc or other suitable gums having the necessary peculiar properties for the purpose intended.

My material prior to its being vulcanized may be molded into such shapes and forms as may be required for ornaments, handles, toys and the like molded wares.

I claim 1. A composition of matter consisting of disintegrated leather about 9 lbs., rubber 4 lbs., petrolatum 4 ozs., zinc oxid 12 ozs., pitch 4 ozs., sulfur, preci itated' sulfur or plumbic oXid 12 ozs., yel OW ocher 2 ozs., fiber 2 lbs., antimony 9 ozs., Vermilion 2 ozs., substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. A composition of matter consisting of disintegrated leather about 9 lbs, rubber about 4 lbs., petrolatum about 4 ozs., zinc oXid about 12 ozs., pitch about 4 ozs., sulfur, precipitated sulfur or plumbic oXid about 12 ozs., yellow ocher about2 ozs., fiber about 2 lbs. antimony about -9-ozs., and Vermilion about 2 ozs., compounded together and' dipped, sprayed or otherwise permeated with bisulfid of carbon and chlorid of sulfur substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

I HYMAN LEWIS. Witnesses:

ALICE HARKER, AUGUSTINE THOMAS MADDEN. 

